Bishop Deplores Slow Justice in Marcopper Tragedy

MANILA, Dec. 2, 2010— A Catholic bishop is disappointed over the slow grind of justice for the victims of the 1993 Marcopper mining as no one had been held liable yet on the disaster.

Boac Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista said it has been 17 years since the country’s worst mining disaster struck and caused havoc to the environment and the Marinduque folks, and yet, nothing had been resolved.

The prelate lamented cases filed in courts had been there for as long as people of Marinduque can remember but the Boac River had never been restored and the people’s lives had never been repaired.

“The most important thing here is environmental justice that the Diocese of Boac and the whole Marinduque province are hoping for,’ Evangelista said.

“(But) until now, talks are at slow pace. The case has already been filed but we are not sure how many years or decades it will take.”

The bishop called on the Aquino administration to give due attention to their problem so as the long-awaited justice be satisfied for the victims.

With the aggressive campaign for mining even in their province, Evangelista said it seems that the government has not learned from the past.

“This is what we feel, what the people feel. Until now, the government continuously pushes mining in the country,” the 47-year old prelate said.

Recent Aquino administration’s pronouncements that it will continue to pursue mining as an economic policy has also alarmed mining affected communities, anti-mining activists and advocates.

Attorney Mario Maderazo of the Philippine Miserior Partnership – Anti Mining Campaign said, “We don’t think that this direction is the right path towards the ‘straight path’ that Aquino has promised to embarked into.”

“Mining historically has only brought devastation, misery, death, human rights violations, as what was clearly shown by the horrific experiences in Marinduque,” he said.

Aquino had vowed to revisit failed mining projects in the past and large-scale disasters like Marinduque, Rapu-Rapu and Diwalwal so that there be proper rehabilitation and compensation for individuals and communities victimized by these mining disasters’.

“We challenge President Aquino to walk the talk and start with Marinduque,” Maderazo.

Bishop Evangelista assured the people of Marinduque that the church remains strong in its commitment in upholding environmental protection.

“Our advocacy for the environment will push forth. The diocese has a clear stand that we are against mining. The conduct of forum for the people will go on until we attain justice,” he added.